By Bill SalusAll the men in your confederacy Shall force you to the border; The men at peace with you Shall deceive you and prevail against you. Those who eat your bread shall lay a trap for you. No one is aware of it. (Obadiah 1:7, NKJV; emphasis added)
The prophet Obadiah had a prophetic vision regarding the Edomites. Today, the Edomites have ethnic representation inside the Palestinians. Obadiah 1:7 declares that the Edomites enlist in a future confederacy that ultimately forces them to a border. Obadiah 1:10, 18 makes it clear that the confederacy forms to fight Israel. Thus, we can deduce that the border in question must be Israel’s.
Obadiah 1:7 says - “your” confederacy, “you” to the border; peace with “you,” deceive “you,” prevail against “you,” "your" bread, a trap for “you.” The fact that Obadiah uses “you” or “your” 7-times in combination suggests the Palestinians play a key role within the confederacy.
However, even though the Palestinians are an integral part of the confederacy, they appear to be a subservient member. This is indicated by Obadiah’s statement that the other members “prevail” against them. The Hebrew word for prevail is “yakol,” and in this usage it implies the other confederate populations possess power, or influence over the Palestinians.
As we witness Palestinian protesters marching against the borders of Israel, and recognize they are supported by a conglomeration of Arab States sharing common borders with Israel, we are caused to consider the possibility that Obadiah’s vision finds real-time prophetic application.
The Arab Spring is rapidly morphing into the liberate Palestine Summer. Nakba, Naksa, Nic-nac-patty-wac, whatever the Arab name given in association with a day of Palestinian protests, it’s incubating into a potentially dangerous summer scenario for Israel that could soon prove disastrous for the Middle East.
On May 15, 2011 thirteen Palestinian protesters were killed as they marched against the borders of Israel on “Nakba” day. Nakba commemorated the anniversary of the creation of the Palestinian refugees on May 15, 1948, when the Arab States told the Arabs residing inside former Palestine, to vacate for a few days so they could confederate against Israel to destroy it.
History evidences this was a terrible miscalculation as Israel won the war, and the Arabs who left Palestine became refugees. Thus, two important bible prophecies occurred in May, 1948. First, the reestablishment of the nation Israel in fulfillment of prophecies in Ezekiel 36:22-24, 37:11-12, Isaiah 11:11 and elsewhere; and Second, the creation of the “tents of Edom” in fulfillment of Psalm 83:6.Tents in the bible typically represent refugee conditions, or military encampments. In Psalm 83 Esau’s descendants, the Edomites, become tent-dwellers. A close study of Edomite history demonstrates that they have an ethnic contingency inside the modern day Palestinian refugees. Additionally important, the Edomite refugees are listed first inside a confederacy of Arabs. This likely identifies these refugees as the lead instigator of the Arab confederacy.
In essence, the Palestinian refugee plight unites the Arabs to fight against Israel. Psalm 83:3-5 tells us this, and Psalm 83:12 informs us the goal is the liberation of Palestine from Israeli sovereignty.
A new protest is being called for on Naksa day to commemorate the Arab defeat by Israel in the 6-day war in June, 1967. The organizers are being quoted as declaring;
“The process of empowerment and liberation, which started in Tunisia and Egypt, should end with the liberation of Jerusalem and Palestine. Palestine will be liberated from the river to the sea, and the sea to the river.”
The inflammatory rhetoric streaming across the social networks about the Naksa day protests is more regarded with liberating Palestine, than creating a Palestinian State. This is troublesome; raising legitimate concerns that the protesters prefer one final Arab State called Palestine, rather than a 2-State solution whereby Israel and Palestine coexist peacefully side-by-side.
The organizers are pressing the Palestinians to forcefully march against Israel’s borders with the goal of liberating Palestine. Additionally, they are calling for widespread protests throughout the Arab countries, including Tahrir Square in Egypt. Meanwhile, in preparation for the demonstrations Israel has stepped up security, and fortified its borders with I.D.F. troops, in an attempt to avert a potential crisis.
Upon a careful review of Psalm 83, this plan to reclaim Palestine for the Palestinian refugees seems to have prophetic implications. However, there’s more to the prophetic story. It might be timely to dust off an ancient bible prophecy that seemingly connects with the Psalm 83 written by Obadiah. Both Psalm 83:4 and Obadiah 1:7 identify an Arab confederacy involving the Edomites (Palestinians). They appear to be discussing the same confederacy in their respective prophecies.
Attached at this link, is a chapter called “The Palestinian Confederacy” contained in my book called Isralestine, The Ancient Blueprints of the Future Middle East. This chapter was written in early 2008 and takes a fairly exhaustive look at Obadiah 1:7 displayed above.
